Garment supporter



B s. ALSOP. GARMENT SUPP6RTER: APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10- I921- Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

INVENTOR UNITED STATES BERTHA S. ALSOP, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GARMENT. surromnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 24, 1922.

. lpplication filed March 10, 1921. Serial No. 451,353.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERTHA S. ALsor, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at New York, New York, have invented a new and useful Garment Supporter, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly toa device for holding up the stockings and holding down a corset or waist.

The main object is to provide a simple and neat'construction which may be readily applied or adjusted, and which will effectively hold up a long stocking and keep the waist or corset down smoothly whether the wearer is standing or seated, and without interfering with free movement of the wearer.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one form of the apparatus in use, the knee being indicated as bent.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of a modified form of apparatus in use, the wearer being erect with the leg straight.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of one form of apparatus with two bands on the full size scale.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified form of a single band, the band being opened out.

What may be termed the band-portion of the device is intended tobe worn around the leg just above the knee, and it preferably consists of an elastic portion 5 and an inelastic portion 6 which maybe covered with velvet. The two ends of the band are provided with cooperating fastening devices 7 and 8, and one portion of the band has an adjustable slide 9 for permitting adjustment of the size of the band. Straps 10 and 11 arecon nected to the elastic portion of the band and are themselves detachably connected to the usual adjustable corset straps or garters 12 and 13 which depend from the side and front respectively of the corset or waist 14. The straps 10 and 11 are preferably provided with loops l5 and 16 adapted to be readily attached to the usual strap or garter fasteners which depend from the corset or waist. Nonelastic pad portions 17 and 18 are preferably interposed between the straps 10 and 11 and the elastic band portion 5. These pad portions '17 and 18 are preferably of velvet or similar smooth but adhesive material adapted to cling to smooth stockings. Preferably these pad portions 17 and 18 as well as the straps 10 and 11 diverge slightly from each other as shown in the drawing so as to concentrate the pull on the band 5 in back of the knee, and also so as to bring the upper ends of the straps 10 and 11 in better position for sustaining the stresses to which the device is subjected. I also preferably provide an elastic crosspiece 19 between the pad portions 17 and 18 to increase the size of the bearing area against the stocking, and also to prevent the pull on the elastic band 5 from distorting or wrinkling the band and making it uncomfortable or loosening it. The pad portions 17 and 18 together with the band 5 and crosspiece 19 between form in effect a large pad-with an elastic center, which can not, only be cheaply made, but which readily adjusts itself to the shape of the leg without buckling or wrinkling. It thus serves to provide a maximum security. Preferably the outer strap 10 is somewhat longer than the strap 11 so as to bring the upper ends of the straps into better position for attachment and adjustment. It will be seen that this device affords practically uniform tension whether the wearer is standing or sitting, and that the fastening devices are naturally drawn toward opposite sides of the leg where they will cause no discomfort. It should also be noted that this device applies tension to the stocking immediately above the knee and at the rear only, so that the device stays smoothly in position without the tendency to slide or pull up as would be the case if the corset straps or garters applied pressure on opposite sides of the leg. In this case the entire pressure :comes at the rear so that the device does not slip even on the smoothest stockings.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 3 I have provided an additional band 20 which pulls on the line of the ,crosspiece 19. This band of course would be provided with means of adjustment, attachment and detachment similar to the band of Fig. 1. This double band .free ends, and an elastic crosspiece connecting said straps parallel to said band 2. A garment supporter comprlsmg a band having a fastening device and adapted to encircle the leg immediately above the knee, two non-slipping pad portions secured to said band at the rear thereof and spaced apart from eachother and adapted to adjust themselves to angular pulls, and straps secured to said pad portions and adapted to be detaehably connectedrespectively to the front and side of an upper garment.

3. A garment supporter comprising a bandadapted to encircle the leg immediately above the knee and consisting of an elastic and a non-elastic portion, velvet pad portions secured to said. elastic portion, an elastic cross piece connecting said pad portion parallel to said elastic portion, and elastic straps connected to said pad portions and adapted to be secured respectively to the-side and front of an upper garment.

4, A garment supporter comprising two parallel bands, each of which has an elastic rear portion, non-elastic pad portions secured to said elastic portions at the rear thereof, and elastic straps secured to said pad portions and adapted respectively to be secured to the side and front of an upper garment.

5. A garment supporter comprising a band adapted to completely encircle the leg immediately above the knee and provided with fastening devices and two elastic straps secured to said band close together at the secured to the side and front of an upper v garment, and an elastic member connectlng said straps at the rear.

J 7. A garment supporter comprising two bands adapted to encircle the leg immediately above the knee and provided with fastening devices and connected together at the rear, and elastic straps connected to the upper band at the rear thereof and adapted respectively to be connected to the side and front of an upper garment.

BERTHA s'. ALSOP. 

